Blank-holding apparatus



Jan. 22, 1929. 1 G. W. SAMPSON BLANK HOLDING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 26. 1926 Fig. 4.

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se ses e l 26, we: see s ee- M d inllnited States Letters Patent llo. 1250,7 51, gree d arsh 2 19 8 P??? epplication pt Elmer ElLahe. it s customary n machines organ zed as set forthin said Letters lPatent to providea ertically ending magazine in which bla ks to he s givetl are arranged in stacked relationship, and a l ollo ver for engaging and pn shii down vardly upon the top the steel; to cpn pressand flatten the blanks and tu itl r to insurothat the stack will shift dmtnwardly the lowermost bls nhs are fed f m the h ee- Qt he m e ieee magaz ne fo 110 5112: h Stack of hlanhs generally comprises a stat onary front Wall and a pluralityoi? side alls disposed pari llel to each other aged at right angles to the f ant Wall, the rear of the magazine being left open for tlle Purpose of facilitating insertion of the blanks when the magazine is being filled. It sometimes happens that, owing to rregulna es in the thickn oi the blanks, the stack is higl' er at its rec r exposed side than or buckle which likewise results occasionally in the hlanlrs being spilled through the open side of the magazine.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide means which Will be elteetive to prevent e steel: of blanks or shoe parts irein spilling a wiich they are arra iged. "With this object in View a feature of the invention consists in the provision, in a machine ofthe cherac ter described, of a blank-containing megazine having an opening therein anda closure member mounted independently oi the magout of a magazine in azine for nove nent into and oiitoi the opening lp the magazine. The closure member is mounted iorinovement in this manner so that it may be nioved into a remote position While the magazine is being filled and subsequently, upon completion of the fillingoperation, may be moved into the opening to hold the blanks intheirproperposition Within the magazine.

At times in the use of machines of the character herein described, it happens that a few of the hliinhs in the stack are not proprly alined when the stack is first insertedintb the magazine and these hliin'ks are held by means of the pressure applied by the follower with their rear edges projecting from the stack in which position 'they'"f1eqiiently engage projecting parts of the machine and interfere with the proper feeding bf the blanks from the hottoin oi the niagzizine. This interference is likewise apt to 'O L'Cll1 here there is a tendency on the pert of some of the blanks to work themselves out oi prop er iilinem ent with the stark duringthe feedins; action.

il ie invention accordin l T ha. 1

l l and: 5 t L1 other object the provision of means for engaging; the rear edges of hlanhs iii Sli1(l"(24l relatiginship in such a manner as to re 11 them in proper alinen'ient Within a magazine. Tothis end, a further feature of the invention consists in an aliningdevico, comprising a plurality of spaced nien'ibers mounted independently of the magazine for movement into and out of engagement With the rear edges of the blanks oi the stack. In the ilhis *ated construction these members are part of the closure referred to ahove and serve the double purpose of closing the open side oi the inegeziihe and of aliningthe reel edges of the blanks. 1 v

These and other features of the invention incl uling certain details of construetion and coinbinatitms of parts will be described as cinbodied. in an illustrative machine and pointed a detail in perspective showing ret inlng end then;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the work-retaining and alining device and the magazine;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the magazine and the retaining and alining device; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing the construction and arrangement of the parts of the skiving machine which operate to feed blanks from the magazine.

As hereinbefore stated the illustrated machine is a skiving machine of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,260,551, and reference may be had thereto for a detailed description of the construction and operation of any parts of the machine not herein fully disclosed.

Referring particularly to Fig. 5 of the drawings, the numeral 1.0 indicates a magazine in which the blanks to be skived are arranged in a vertical stack. The magazine comprises a plurality of side walls 12 and a front wall 14 which is provided with a rib 16 for rigid attachment to the frame of the machine. Located below the front wall 14 and forming a continuation thereof is a plate 18 which is mounted for vertical movement to allow the lowermost blank in the stack to be fed between the bottom of the plate 18 and the top of a rigidly mounted feed table 20.

The blanks are fed one by one from the lower end of the magazine 10, and to this end a flat pusher or feed finger 22 is mounted for reciprocation across the surface of the table 20. During each forward stroke of the reciprocation. the front edge of the pusher 22 engages the lowermost blank in the stack and moves it laterally out of the magazine and into engagement with a die roll 24 and pressure devices 26 in the form of toothed disks fast to a rotating shaft. The die roll 24 is provided with a customary blank positioning die cavity 28, and is arranged to cooperate with the pressure devices 26 in feeding the blank past a skiving knife 30 which is supported rigidly behind the bite of the die roll and pressure devices.

A guard or cover plate 32 is located above the mechanism for reciprocating the pusher 22 and serves as a protective covering for that mechanism as well as a work supporting table. The forward edge of the table or guard is beveled and extends downwardly into a position to prevent the lowermost blank .in'the hopper from being fed backwardly out of the magazine during the return stroke of the pusher 22. As shown in Fig. 2, elongated slots 14; and bolts -16 permit horizontal adjustment of the guard 32 to lessen or increase the distance between the down wardly extending edge of the guard and the forward wall 14 of the magazine. Thus the guard may be adjusted to accommodate blanks of different widths.

The pusher 22 is mounted in such a manner that the magnitude of its reciprocation may be varied in accordance with variations in the width of the blanks being operated upon, and to facilitate making this adjustment the guard 32 is provided with a slidable section 3 1 which may be moved relatively to the guard to afford access to the reciprocating mechanism.

Turning now to a more detailed description of the construction of the magazine 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the side sections 12 are attached at their lower ends to bracket members 36. These brackets are secured to the table or guard plate 32 by means of slots 38 and bolts -10,which arrangement permits independent adjustment of the side sections 12 toward and away from each other to accommodate blanks of different lengths. Furthermore, the side sections 12 may, by means of slot and bolt connections 12 be adjusted relatively to the front wall 14 of the magazine to enable the forward edges of the members 12 to be disposed closely adjacent to the wall 1 1 notwithstanding adjustment of guard 32 and brackets 36 toward and away from the front wall 14:.

It is customary, in machines of the type herein described, to provide means for pressing downwardly the stack of blanks contained in the magazine to compress and flatten them, and further to insure that the stack will shift downwardly as the lowermost blanks are fed from the bottom of the magazine. Accordingly, a follower 48 (Fig. 1) for engaging the top surface of the uppermost blank is secured to the lower extremity of a vertically extending rod 50 in such a manner that the follower and rod are free to descend as the height of the stack is reduced. As illustrated, the rod 50 is provided with an adjustable abutment screw 52 which engages a lever 54 when the stack of blanks in the magazine is re duced to a predeterminedminimum. Movement imparted to the lever 5a is, by means ineluding a connecting rod 56, utilized to render inoperative the blank feeding mechanism. The rod 50 is also provided with a series of rack teeth which, together with a pinion gear located in a casing. constitute mechani' cal. means whereby the follower may be moved upwardly into its highest position after the blanks in the magazine have been depleted.

Machines of the type set forth in said Letters Patent are prepared for operation in the following manner: first the rod 50 and follower 48 are moved upwardly into their highest position. Following this. the operative inserts a stack of the blanks which are to be skived, through the opening in the rear of the magazine, and an ranges them in approximate alineinent with .their front edges disposed closely adjacent to the front wall. 14. The rod 50 is then. released to permit the follower 18 to drop forcibly into contact with the uppermost ill:

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blank in the stack. The blanks in the stack are thus compressed and flattened out, and are arranged to be fed successively from the bottom of the niap'aainc.

To prevent any possible spilling or buckliiisr of the stack of blanks, or .im )iooer alias i. i i

merit of the blanks comprising the stack the illustrated machine provided \vitlli nienns 1 ring the rear a of the blanks to retain them in proper alincmcnt Within the magazine. To this cud (as IOWH in Figs. i 3 and oi" the drawings) a yoke-shaped member 60 is liiountcd for vertical pivotal iilovcment about a swivel pin 62 and is prodded with a plurality of elongated arms 64 which extend parallel to each other and to the front Wall 14.- of the magazine 10. These arms are elongated for the purpose of enin;- thc re: f of the stack along a substantial portion of its length, and are sprcod apart for the purpose of engaging the rear cdgres of blanks at spaced localities properly to aline them. The pin 62, upon which the yoke ($0 is mounted, is :arricd in a forwardly projecting! portion of a carrier 66.

To facilitate the filling; of the magazine, the carrier 66 is mounted for movement into an inoperative position which it is remote from the opening in the magazine through which the blanks are inserted. Accordingly the carrier (56 is slidably mounted upon a guide bar 68 which is rigidly secured by means of screws 70 to the movable section fi-l-l of the guard plate 32. The carrier 66 is provided with a p and T l for engagement with rack teeth 72 formed on the forward portion of the guide bar The teeth 72 are so shaped that the pawl 74!; rides freely over them only when the carrier (36 is moved in the direction of the opening in the magazine; when moved in the opposite direction (away from the opening) the pawl. must be held manuallv out of enuagremcnt with the vertical Walls of the teeth 72. The purpose in providing a series of teeth to permit the hlanlr. engaging arms (34lto be locked in a desired ad justment relatively to the front Wall ll of the magazine to accommodate blanks of different widths.

The blank retaining device is provided with yielding means, including a. hollow plunger 78 and a compression spring); T6, which tend norn'ially to hold the yolze 60 in a ion relatively to the warrior 66. it will he obscr ed. however; that the top of plunger 'il-l is closed to present a conical projection which fits Within a conical depression 80 forn'ied in the yoke 6O. This arrang mcnl' such that the yoke 60 may be pivoted manually to cause depression of the plunger 78 and movement of the arms 64 into positions in which they lie at different distances from the front well let. Inasmuch as the majority of the blanks skived are substantially symmetrical with respect toa center blanks that are unsymmetrical with respect to their center lines that the yoke is mounted for pivotal adpistment.

The lovccr end of the compression spring 76 engages tlic pavvl T l and tends normally to maintain the latter in engagement with the teeth 72 formed on the guide bar 68.

t has been heroinheforo pointed out that ti: "aide bar 68 is rigidly secured to the movziblesection 34- of the table 32. To guard rearwardmovement of the section fi l, durnro; the feeding of the blanks iron'i till} magazine, a block 82 1s pivotally secured to the end of the guide bar 68 and is provided with a sores S l which extends through a slot 86 and has abutting engagement with a rigid shelf portion 88 of the guard Thus the screw may be loosened and tilted out of eng 'a o cment with the shelf 88 to 'iit free movement of the section 34 relatively to the guard In the use "of the device, the pawl 74 is raised out of enlgl ;e ment with the teeth 72, and the carrier 66 and yoke 60 are slid rear- Wardly into a position Where the; will not interfere with the movements of the operativein inserting a stack of blanks into the magaaine 10. After the blanks have beeninscrted into the magazine and approximately alined ivith their front edges adjacent the front Wall 14 the carrier moved forwardly until the arms 6% engage and aline the rear edges of the blanks comprising the stack. During the forward movement of the arms 64 the pawl *i' l is free to move into loclcing engagement with the teeth 72 to prevent rearward displacement of the arms relatively to the stack. With t 1e arms so held and the blanks properly alined, the follower 48 is actuated to drop into engagement with the top of the stack, and the machine is then in condition to begin the skiving operations.

It Will be appreciated that the arms 64 counteract any tendency on the part of the blanks to spill rearwardly out of the manazinc and also serve properly to alinc the blanks as they are being-r tled.'

While this invention has been described with particular reference to sliiv'ing' inachines it should be understood that it not necessarily limited in its utility to cmbodi merit in such machines.

Having described my invention, What I clain'i as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

i. In an apparatus for holding blanks in stacked relation, the combination With a blank-containing magazine, of an alining device comprising a pivotally mounted yoke m mber carrying a plurality of elongated the edges of the blanks contained in the magazine.

2. In an apparatus for holding blanks in stacked relation, the combination with a blank-containing member, of an alining device comprising a plurality of elongated arms for engaging the edges of the blanks at spaced localities, said arms being mounted for pivotal movement about a common axis.

3. In an apparatus for holding blanks in stacked relation, in combination, a blankcontaining magazine having an opening therein, and a unitary alining device mounted for bodily movement into the opening to engage at spaced localities the rear edges of the blanks contained within the magazine.

4-. In an apparatus for holding blanks in stacked relation, in combination, a blankcontaining magazine comprising a front wall section and a plurality of side wall sections, a plurality of elongated arms mounted for pivotal movement about an axis disposed parallel to the front wall section, and means tending normally to maintain the arms at equal distances from the front wall section.

5. A blank-aiming and retaining device comprising, in combination, a guide, an elongated carrier slidably mounted on the guide, a plurality of arms pivot-ally secured to the carrier, and means tending normally to maintain the arms symmetrically positioned relatively to the central longitudinal plane of the carrier.

6. A blank-alining and retaining device comprising, in combination, a guide having rack teeth formed thereon, a carrier mounted on the guide, a plurahty of elongated arms pivotally secured to the carrier, and a yieldingly mounted pawl for engaging the rack teeth to lock the carrier against movement in one direction along the guide.

7. A blank-aiming and retaining device comprising, in combination, a guide having rack teeth formed thereon, a carrier provided with a pawl for engagement with the rack teeth, a yoke pivotally mounted on the carrier, means tending normally to maintain the yoke in a predetermined position relatively to the carrier, and a plurality of elongated parallel arms secured to the yoke.

8. A device of the class described having, in combination, a magazine for a stack of blanks, said magazine comprising a front wall to engage the front edges of the blanks of the stack and side walls to engage the sides of the blanks, means for exerting pressure upon the top of the stack whereby the stack tends to buckle toward the open rear portion of the magazine, and a member slidably mounted for movement into the opening so as to support therear of the stack.

9. A device of the class described, having in combination, a magazine for a stack of blanks, having an opening therein for the in sertion of the stack, means for feeding blanks one at a time from the bottom of the stack, means for exerting pressure upon the top of the stack whereby the stack tends to buckle through the opening, and a member slidably mounted for movement into the opening and adapted to engage the stack.

In testimony whereof I have signed my ame to this specification.

snonen W. SAMPSON.

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